Riding the ‘more fun in PH’ wave

A few weeks after the new Tourism slogan “It’s more fun in the Philippines” was launched, tour and travel operators in Cebu  started adding “fun” activities in their packages.

“We now have them experience other things like coconut leaf weaving (for puso) and expose them to  carabao rides on a  ‘balsa’  (sled),  which  they don’t get to experience in other destinations, “ said Cecile Sa-a of the Cebu Association of Tour Operators (CATO).

Alice Queblatin, Tourism Congress vice president for Visayas for the travel and tour sector, said the new slogan challenges  operators to have “interactive” tours,  aside from offering heritage and cultural tours especially in the countryside.

It’s too early yet to see if the new slogan has attracted visitors, they said.

“We have yet to do more promotions and tie it up with the new slogan just like what we did before with the  ‘Wow Philippines’ slogan,” said Queblatin.

Product

Jenny Franco, former Tourism Congress vice president for Visayas, said the new slogan “or any slogan for that matter” is “just the icing on the cake and what matters really is the cake, which is our product.”

“It’s more fun in the Philippines” is actually just another statement for “Wow Philippines,” said Franco,  who is also the National Association for Independent Travel Agencies Cebu Chapter president.

“They’re both the same actually because when someone is amazed or having a real good time in a destination, the word ‘wow’ is often used by differnt  nationalities when they’re in awe,” Franco said.

Whatever slogan is used,  the focus should be on the product.

“We must have a good product, services and infrastructure. The slogan will only tell the people what they can expect or what we promise them. It’s  always their experience that will define how effective we are as a destination,” she said.

Franco, Queblatin and Sa-a agreed about the big potentil of Cebu’s tourism industry and promised to come up with more  “fun” packages for  guests.

Whale sharks

Franco, who is serving the American, Canadian, Japanese and other Asian markets, said  fun packages they could develop and offer would be an attractive “come-on” for these markets.

The discovery of  whale sharks that is drawing  local and foreign visitors to  Oslob town, south Cebu Cebu needs to be carefully developed, she noted.

Program

Last week, the Department of Tourism (DOT)  in Central Visayas  launched the Pinoy  Homecoming Program for balikbayans  in Cebu.

DOT Regional Director Rowena Montecillo said the program aims to reward  balikbayans with exclusive perks like discounts in shopping centers and resorts when they register for the program.

“The program was actually launched last year in two other destinations including Clark and Davao by former Secretary Alberto Lim but we still don’t have the number of balikbayans that have already availed of the program,” she said.

Montecillo said they expect a report from the national office within the month for 2011 turnouts.

Other initiatives by the DOT with the private sector includes an accreditation process and partnership activities like airport welcomes for tourists. Tour operators have started to request for them.

“Our slogan says ‘It’s more fun in the Philippines’ so we may as  well start the moment they land and give them a warm welcome at the airport,” said Montecillo.